US tweet-chat: need China worry?
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Got something to say to the United States government?
Get yourself a Twitter account. Always-friendly US Ambassador Kristie Kenney had her first tweet-chat with the general public last Friday.
“Has any other US ambassador done a Twitter chat anywhere else?” someone asked her. “Not that I know of,” she replied.
And a lot of questions flew in to @USEmbassyBKK and @KristieKenney, using the hashtag #AmbKKchat, too many in fact to answer, even with Kenney manning both her computer and iPhone to try and keep up.
Some tough questions mixed in with the light-hearted ones, but Kenney stayed cool. People wanted to know about Thai-US citizen Joe Gordon being thrown in jail. “We have been and will continue to give him our full support,” she said. “Thanks for caring.”
Well, what about the lese majeste law, anyway?
“@USEmbassyBKK have utmost respect 4 Thai monarchy. Troubled by prosecutions not consistent with international standard of freedom of expression.”
Okay, how about Thaksin Shinawatra? “Thaksin’s return to Thailand is for Thailand, not the US, to determine,” came the response.
Somewhat easier to answer: “Have you managed to develop a taste for durian?” “Not yet,” Kenney admitted. But she loves Thai cooking and named Soul Food on Thonglor and Bangkok Bagel in Chidlom among her favourite places to eat.
How’s she spending her first Christmas in Thailand? Actually, she’ll be joining her husband in Hawaii for the Yule, but she’ll be back here for New Year’s Eve.
What’s the toughest language to learn? Thai, she replied without hesitation.
There were those who felt Kenney was dodging hard questions about the US as global superpower but, to be fair, it’s not easy encapsulating a worthwhile answer in 140 characters or less.
Still, tweeted British journalist @vanalli at the end of the session, “I thought she might have answered that question on children’s rights. Oh well, at least I know where she likes to eat.”
Now don’t go bugging her while she’s having dinner. There’ll be another #AmbKKchat.
